Impact of clutter on children

One of the biggest reasons of clutter and stress may be your children.

Experts say taking stock of what you really need and getting rid of things you don't can impact your kids in ways you never imagined.

"I looked around and I thought, you know what, the problem is not that I'm not organized enough, its that we just have too much stuff," said Mona Shand.

A year ago, she decided to get serious about her family's clutter.

"I started to think about what message that was sending to my kids.  If we put all our value in these things.  If we spend all our time accumulating, maintaining, cleaning, moving, occupying ourselves with stuff, what does that tell them?  You know it doesn't leave time for the things that are really meaningful," said Shand.

Beyond the larger life lessons, experts say clutter has a negative impact on kids' everyday lives.

A recent study found kids living in more disorganized homes had more trouble regulating their emotions.

Clutter also makes it more difficult to clean, creating a more welcoming environment for germs and pests.

A messy kitchen makes it harder to prepare healthy dinners and easier to rely on prepackaged ones.

Numerous studies find children have more trouble concentrating in rooms with too much visual stimul.

Less to look at means more focus on the task at hand.

Shand says clearing out her family's excess belongings is sending a powerful message to her kids.

"I think it's getting easier for them to understand that these are just things.  They don't define us and we don't have to hold on to them to be happy.  They're not what bring us happiness," said Shand.